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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · sharp · spell · date · mark · charge · tear · fan

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mark — a grade
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spell — a short time
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rock — music
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. spell — magic
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. date — the fruit
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com